Holding device for the sheets of loose leaf books



Jan. 19, 1937.

J. FAHRNBUHL HOLDING DEVICE FOR THE SHEETS OF LOOSE LEAF BOOKS Filed Jan20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 19, 1937. J UHL. 2,068,229

HOLDING DEVICE FOR THE SHEETS OF LOOSE LEAF BOOKS Filed Jan. 20, 1956 2SHeets-Sheet 2 V A; v E'W Patented Jan. 19, 1937 UNETEF STATES attainFA'EEN'F @FiiQE HGLDING DEVICE FOR THE SHEETS 9F LOOSE LEAF BOOKSApplication January 20, 1936, Serial No. 59,952 In Germany February 111,1935 4 Claims.

The object of the present invention is a holding device for the sheetsof loose leaf books comprising slitted rings that are rotatably mountedin a base member and slide means for conjointly turning all the rings atone or both ends of the base member.

Arrangements of this kind have already been proposed which had, however,several drawbacks. In as much as the slits of the rings were alwaysaligned in all positions of the rings and in most cases separate slidemembers for covering the slits in the'locking position were provided,the receiving capacity of therings could be utilized only up to a smallpercentage. Furthermore, inserting the sheets into and removing the samefrom the rings, the slits of which required to be made as narrow aspossible in order to avoid the sheets dropping out unintentionally, wasdifficult and also turning the rings was rendered difficult inconsequence of the resistance resulting from the improperly guidedsheets.

Other arrangements were attempted to be improved by using rings ofT-shaped cross section, but this required a correspondingly abnormalpunching of the sheets, due to which tearing of the adjacent edges ofthe sheet material is particularly prone to. arise.

These drawbacks are eliminated according to the present invention by theprovision that the slide for turning the rings, which engages the latterat the exterior circumference thereof, is so connected with the ringsthat the same are turned pairwise in opposite directions, in such a way,that only in the position of the rings for removing the sheets the slitsin the rings align, whereas during turning the rings into. the positionfor removal as well as into the locking position, the slits in theindividual pairs of rings are positioned on opposite sides.

Owing to this construction of the ring control mechanism, turning therings as well as inserting and removing sheets is considerablyfacilitated, while the receiving capacity of the device is as great asobtainable, and at the same time dropping out of individual sheets ispositively prevented, since the slits of the rings are not aligned inthe locking position but are positioned in pairs on opposite sides.Furthermore, as the control mechanism cooperates with the exteriorcircumference of the rings, a large portion of the circumference of therings is available for the reception of sheets. Moreover, with thisarrangement, the slits of the rings can be made wide enough to permit ofremoving individual sheets or a greaternumber of sheets conjointly andinserting the same again respectively, and since, to this end, theindividual pairs of rings turn in two opposite directions, the sheetsare always guided by the integral portions of the rings, so that theapertures of the sheets are truly aligned and thus the ends of the ringsare prevented from unhoo-king, the turning operation being thusfacilitated and damaging of the sheets is avoided.

In the accompanying drawings several embodiments of the invention areillustrated by way of example only, in which Fig. 1 shows a sideelevation of a first form of a loose leaf binder according to theinvention, inclusive of the control mechanism, the binder being opened;

Fig. 2 shows a corresponding plan view;

Fig. 3 shows a section through the holding device as such, on a largerscale;

Fig. 4 shows a front elevation of a holding ring;

Fig. 5d shows a side elevation of a cover plate of the. device, on asmaller scale;

Fig. 5b is a plan view of Fig. 5a; and.

Fig. 5cis a cross section thereof;

Fig. 6a shows a side elevation of a guide plate for the rings;

Fig. 6b is a plan view of Fig. 6a, and

Fig. 6c is a cross section thereof;

Fig. 7a shows a side elevation of a control slide of the device,

Fig. 7b is a plan view of Fig. 7a, and

Fig. 7c is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 8a shows a side elevation of a base supporting plate, and

Fig. 8b is an end elevation of Fig. 8a.

Fig. 9 is a perspective View of a detail on a somewhat larger scale;

Fig. 10 shows a section of a second form of a loose leaf binderaccording to the invention;

Fig. 11a shows a side elevation of the cover plate of a modification ofthe device on a smaller scale,

Fig. 111; is a plan View of Fig. 11a, and

Fig. 110: is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 120/. shows a side elevation of the control slide of the modifieddevice,

Fig. 12b is a plan view of Fig. 12a, and

Fig. 120 is a cross section as seen from the left Fig. 15b is a planView of Fig. 150a, and

Fig. 150 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 16a is a side elevation of a leaf holding ring, and

Fig. 16b is an end elevation thereof.

In the embodiment of the holding device shown in the Figs. 1 to 8, Erepresents the book cover for the binder to the. back of which the basemem ber R and the rotatable leaf holding rings I are fastened. Eachslitted ring is provided on one side with a walled recess Iaconstituting a driving projection in which a ball 2 is loosely mounted.The device is composed of a sheet metal cover plate 3, which holds therings I, a sheet metal guide plate 4 for the rings, which is carried bythe cover plate 3, a slide 5 below the guide plate to enclose the lowerring portions, and a base supporting plate 5 to which the whole assemblyis secured. The cover plate 3 is in the form of an inverted tray of achannel shaped cross section and having depending end plates projectingbelow the sides of the tray. The sides of the cover plate are providedwith bendable tongues 32) for connecting with the base supporting plate6. The slitted rings I are rotatably mounted in apertures 3a of thecover plate.

The cover plate 3 is inserted between the upturned side edges of thebase supporting plate 6 (Fig. 8a) and secured to the latter by means ofthe bent over tongues 37), so as to form with this plate a. closedhollow base member.

Inside of the cover plate 3 the guide plate 4 (Fig. 6a) of an arcuatecross section is disposed which is provided opposite the apertures 3awith transverse grooves 4a as guideways for the slitted rings I.

Underneath the guide plate t a slide 5 (Fig. 7a) of a curved crosssection and also consisting of sheet metal is arranged one end of whichis formed into a handle 5?) which projects upwardly from the base memberat the lower end thereof. This slide is provided with guideways asgrooves 5a which are, however, not transversely directed as those of theguide plate 4, but rather inclined to each other in pairs so as to formportions of oppositely inclined helices. Into these grooves 5a the balls2 secured to the rings I engage, so that the rings are compelled torevolve pairwise in opposite directions, when the slide 5 is displaced.The length of the slide 5 is shorter for the range of the necessarydisplacement than the length of the guide plate 4,

The base supporting plate 6 rests upon a fabric strip S pasted onto thebook cover E and is secured thereto by means of staples I (Fig. 9) whichare soldered laterally on the base supporting plate.

In the locking position the rings I are so positioned that their slitsare situated inside the base member, so that none of the sheets can dropout. When it is desired to insert or remove any sheet, the slide 5 ispulled out of the book cover by means of the handle 5?) in the outwarddirection, the rings I thus being turned so that the slits are allaligned in an upper disposition as shown in Fig. 3. Then any sheets canreadily be inserted or removed. For locking the holding device the slide5 is pushed inwardly in which way the rings I revolve back until theirslits are returned to the interior of the base member.

Due to the rings being turned pairwise in op posite directions, theslits thereof arrive into their positions of alignment only at the endof this turning movement, that is, in the central disposition, so thatno sheets can drop out laterally.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the Figs. 10 to 16b, at thecircumference of each slitted ring-holder I a radially projecting stud2a is disposed.

The cover plate 3 is of the same construction as in the first embodimentexcept that for each ring I, instead of two apertures, only one aperture3a and a slot are provided. The cover plate 3 is connected to the curvedbase supporting plate 6 by means of tongues 32) inter-engaging withnotches 6b (Fig. 13a) and the latter is provided with depending tongues6a which are passed through slots 8a of a curved backing plate 8 andbent down thereon in the inward direction (Fig. 10). Between the basesupporting plate 6 and the backing plate 8 the fabric strip S is clampedwhich is pasted on to the book cover E.

On the inner side of the cover plate 3 curved guide plates 4b of arcuatecross section are inserted in the transverse grooves of which the rings5 are guided (Figs. 10 and 15, a, b, c). Underneath these plates thecurved slide 5 is positioned which is provided with oblique grooves 5athat are relatively inclined in pairs and which has a handled end 3bthat projects upwardly from the base member. The shank 5c of this end isguided by a recess 3d in the adjacent end plate of the cover plate 3.Into the grooves 5a the studs Ed on the rings I are projecting (Figs. 10and 16a, 1)) so that in displacing the slide 5 the rings are turned inthe same manner as described above for the preceding embodiment.

The spacings between rings are advantageously of a length which permitsof inserting in the holding device sheets of various sizes of standardpunching.

Instead of a single slide two slides may be provided, each of whichserving for controlling a separate group of rings and being controlledat opposite ends of the base member.

I do not limit myself to the particular size, shape, number orarrangement of parts as shown and described, all of which may be variedwithout going beyond the scope of my invention as shown, described andclaimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a holding device for the sheets of loose leaf books, a series ofslitted sheet holding rings, a base member accommodating said ringscircumferentially revolubly about the axis of said series, said ringshaving projections thereon, slide means engaging said projections onsaid rings at portions of their circumferences interiorly of said basemember, guide means on the slide means at the engaging portions of saidslide means for turning said rings pairwise in opposite directionsduring the sliding movement of the slide means, and handle meansdisposed terminally on said slide means for reciprocating the samelongitudinally of said axis, for turning each pair of rings in positionof interchanging sheets with the slits of the rings aligning exteriorlyof said base member and for reversely turning each pair into position oflocking the sheets respectively, the slits of the individual pairs beingpositioned on opposite sides of said axis during said turning movements.

2. In a holding device for the sheets of loose leaf books, a series ofslitted sheet holding rings, a base member accommodating said ringscircumferentially revolubly about the axis of said series, with thegreater portion of their circumference situated exteriorly of saidmember, an arcuate guide plate for said rings disposed inside said basemember and having guide grooves,

extending transversely of said axis, and engaging the innercircumferences of said rings, said rings having projections thereon,slide means engaging said projections on said rings radially outwardlyat their smaller circumferential portions interiorly of said basemember, guide means on the slide means at the engaging portions of saidslide means for turning said rings pairwise in opposite directionsduring the sliding movement of the latter means, and handle meansdisposed terminally on said slide means for reciprocating the samelongitudinally of said axis, for turning each pair of rings in positionof interchanging sheets with the slits of the rings aligning exteriorlyof said base member and for reversely turning each pair into position oflooking the sheets respectively, the slits of the individual pairs beingpositioned on opposite sides of said axis during said turning movements.

3. In a holding device for the sheets of loose leaf books, a series ofslitted sheet holding rings, spherical driving means rotationallymounted on the circumference of each ring, a base member accommodatingsaid rings circumferentially revolubly about the axis of said series,with the greater portion of their circumference situated exteriorly ofsaid member, an arcuate guide plate for said rings disposed inside saidbase member and having guide grooves, extending transversely of saidaxis, and engaging the inner circumferences of said rings, a slidecurved coaxially with said guide plate for engaging said rings radiallyoutwardly at their smaller circumferential portion interiorly of saidbase member, oblique guide-- ways at the engaging portions of said slidefor cooperation with said driving means, for turning said rings pairwisein opposite directions during the sliding movement of said slide, andhandle means disposed terminally on said slide means for reciprocatingthe same longitudinally of said axis, for turning each pair of rings inposition of interchanging sheets with the slits of the rings aligningexteriorly of said base member and for reversely turning each pair intoposition of looking the sheets respectively, the slits of the individualpairs being positioned on opposite sides of said axis during saidturning movements.

4. In a holding device for the sheets of loose leaf books, a series ofslitted sheet holding rings, a driving stud fixed circumferentially oneach ring, a base member accommodating said rings circumferentiallyrevolubly about the axis of said series, with the greater portion oftheir circumierence situated exteriorly of said member, an arcuate guideplate for said rings disposed inside said base member and engaging theinner circumferences of said rings by means of guide grooves extendingtransversely of said axis, a slide curved coaxially with said guideplate for engaging said rings radially outwardly at their smallercircumferential portion interiorly of said base member,

ing the sheets respectively, the slits of the individual pairs beingpositioned on opposite sides of said axis during said turning movements.

JEAN FAHRNBI'JHL.

